What Have I Got To Be Thankful For?
by Mistress Sorcha
Summary: Dean figures out that maybe he does have something to be thankful for afterall...Just a short story in spirit of Thanksgiving…Wee!chesters in effect.


Just a short story in spirit of Thanksgiving…Wee!chesters in effect. Dean is 14, Sam is 10.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own the boys…much to my dismay, I might add…

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**What Have I Got To Be Thankful For?!?**

"I friggin hate this time of year…" Dean said unhappily as he walked his little brother home from school.

"How come, Dean?" Sammy asked innocently.

"Well, what do I have to be thankful for? I hate that every year, the stupid teachers try to make us think of things to be thankful for. I wish they'd just leave us the hell alone. Not everybody has an apple-pie life…maybe some people don't wanna be reminded of it…" Dean said, his voice slightly husky from emotions.

"Oh…ok…" Sam said, his voice quiet, pensive.

Dean really did hate this time of year. Holidays were always hard on him and he knew why, though he was loathe to admit it. The reason was: the last time he could remember being happy for them was when their mom had been alive. Granted, he'd been really young then, so his memories were kinda hazy and few and far between, but what he did remember made him ache inside. Not just for him, but for his dad and Sammy, too. Especially Sammy. Sammy didn't have any thing to hold onto at all. Dean looked over at his quiet brother, worried he'd hurt his feelings or something because Sammy wasn't squawking up a storm like he usually did.

"What's the matter, squirt?" Dean said, trying to keep his voice light and not let his personal misgivings about the holidays seep into his words.

"Huh? Oh, nothing. Um, Dean? You know my friend Zach?" Sam said, momentarily startled, realizing he'd been caught up in thoughts when his brother had asked him the question.

"Yeah, what about him?" Dean responded. Of course he knew Zach, he knew all of Sammy's friend, he'd made sure of it. He knew all the important details about them, too, like where they lived, how many siblings, etc…

"Well, he kinda invited me over for Thanksgiving dinner…" Sam said, ducking his eyes beneath the fridge of bangs, peeking up between the strands at his big brother.

"He did? Why would he….wait, Sammy, you told him dad wasn't gonna be here? Sammy, you know better than that! Do you want child services on our asses?" Dean growled.

"It kinda slipped out…I said I wish our family was having dinner… and he asked why we weren't and I just said that dad got called this morning and asked to work last minute so dinner was canceled…" Sammy said, his voice taking on a slightly whiny tone. He gave Dean his sheepish, apologetic puppy eyes, which were an entirely different look then his begging puppy eyes altogether and were equally effective on his big brother.

Dean sighed. "Sammy, man…still gotta be more careful, ok? I really don't want you taken away, dude" Dean said, his voice getting husky again at the thought of losing his baby brother.

"I'm sorry…I do better next time, I promise." Sammy said, ducking his head again.

Dean's lips twitched in a half smile. His brother was gonna be a hit with the ladies with that shy thing he had going…

"It's alright Sammy. I know you will."

"So…can I go, Dean?" Sammy said, looking up with his begging puppy dog eyes in full force.

"I don't know, Sammy…you know dad doesn't like us out and about while he's gone. I'll call and ask him, ok?" Dean said.

"Really? Thanks, Dean!" Sam said, hugging his big brother.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, Sammy…I know, I'm the best big brother in the world…" Dean said with a smirk creeping onto his face.

Sam bitch-faced him for a moment, trying so very hard to be petulant to him in the face of his big brother's ego, but he just couldn't help it. Dean really was the best big brother ever.

"Yeah," Sam sighed, a small, sheepishish grin splitting his face. "Yeah, you are." Sam said earnestly.

Dean blushed, ducking _his_ head this time in the face of such an earnest compliment. They walked the rest of the way home in silence, but Dean felt as if his heart had grown bigger and his chest felt warm and happy inside from his brother words.

After they got home and Dean checked the place out and got Sam in safe and sound. He fixed a snack for him and Sam and he went to the bedroom to make the call while Sam started working on his homework and ate his snack in the living room/ kitchenette area. His father picked up on the 1st ring.

"Dad?" Dean asked."

"Dean? Is everything alright? Is Sammy ok?" John asked quickly.

"Yeah, everything's fine, Sammy's fine. I just had a question." Dean said quickly, noting the panic lacing his dad's tone.

"What do you need, Dean? You know I'm busy with a hunt right now…" John said, his voice turning to a slightly irritated growl.

"I'll make it quick, sir. Sammy got invited to his friend Zach's house for dinner and he wanted to know if he could go."

"Dean, this isn't really important…besides, you know the rules. You stay put in the motel while I'm gone unless you need to go to school or the grocery store. Don't call again unless it's an emergency." John growled.

"Yes, sir." Dean said quietly as his father hung up on him.

Dean went to the living room to tell Sam the bad news.

"Sorry Sammy, dad said no." Dean said quietly as he sat down beside his little brother to help him with his homework.

Sam looked up, looking sad and disappointed. "Oh…ok…I guess I better call and tell Mrs. Studebaker I can't come…" Sam said, rising up and padding to the telephone.

"Would've been neat to see what a real Thanksgiving dinner was like is all…" Sam said, his tiny shoulders slumped with dejection.

Dean's heart thudded painfully in his chest. Poor kid hasn't ever gotten to even have a normal Thanksgiving or Christmas… '_Dammit, dad probably didn't even remember that it's Thanksgiving tomorrow..._' Dean thought. '_Or maybe he just doesn't care…_'

Suddenly, Dean knew he couldn't let the kid down like that.

"Sammy, wait…maybe…maybe dad doesn't need to know…maybe if you keep your trap shut about it, he doesn't ever need ta know…" Dean said quietly.

"Really? You'll really let me go? Won't you get inta big trouble with dad? I mean you already asked and he said no…" Sammy said, his tone bouncing between hopeful and doubtful.

"Like I said, man…maybe he doesn't need to know…and if you don't tell, I sure as hell won't…I…I just want you to have your Thanksgiving, Sammy…if you want to go, I'll let you…I cover for ya and take the heat if anything happens, ok?" Dean said.

"Are you sure, Dean?"

"Yeah...yeah I'm sure." Dean said with a sigh.

"Tell Mrs. Studebaker I'll walk ya there if she can drop you off when your all done, ok? You are NOT walking alone in the dark…If she can't bring you back, tell me and I'll come get you, ok?" Dean said firmly.

"Ok…, I promise I will." Sam said.

Sam called Zach to let him know, and Mrs. Studebaker assured him that they would bring him back afterwards. They settled in to do Sam's homework, even though they had 4 days off, Dean insisted on getting it done and out of the way. Dean made them dinner and then washed up everything as Sam settled into watch TV. After he finished up, he joined Sam on the couch, watching TV with his brother until 10, then ushered Sam off to bed. Sam whined a little, giving him the puppy dog eyes again, reminding him that it was a holiday break and they had no school the next day. Dean relented, telling him to go get washed up and brush his teeth and then he could come back out for one more hour then he had to get to bed. Sam rushed to get ready then zoomed back out and plopped down next to his big brother.

Within 20 minutes though, Sam was drifting off to sleep and jerking awake again. Dean let him slip into sleep, curled up snugly next to him. When Dean began to get tired, he turned off the TV, gathered up his little brother and carried him gently into their room and tucked him into bed. Dean got himself ready for bed and then flopped down himself, his hand thrust under his pillow, ready to grab up the bowie knife he kept there in a moment's notice. Soon enough he'd gone to sleep, too.

Bright and early the next morning, Sam got up quietly and went out to watch TV until Dean woke up. Soon enough, Dean, some how able to sense his brother's absence every time, stumbled into the living room, plopping down next to Sam on the couch. After a while he got up and got them each a bowl of cereal. After they ate, he washed up the bowls and then went to watch a little more TV with his little brother. Lunch time rolled around and he made them mac & cheese, again washing up right after, as was his custom. Around 2:30pm, he sent Sam off to a bath and got to work, picking out Sam's clothes. He picked out khaki pants (his brother's only pair) and his best button-down shirt. He pulled out the iron the motel provided, a old, heavy thing that he had double checked to make sure it still worked, luckily it did. He ironed Sam's outfit, wanting his little brother to look his best for what he was sure would be a nice dinner. Once he had it pressed and crisp looking, he went to check on his brother. Sam was still messing around in the tub.

"Out you get, little brother…don't want you to be late and miss the dinner, do we?" Dean said with a grin.

"Ok, um…can you go away for a second so I can get out?" Sam asked, a blush rising on his cheeks.

Dean rolled his eyes. "Dude, you ain't got nothing I haven't seen a hundred times before…"

"Deeaannn…." Sam whined.

"Ok, ok…just make it snappy, Sammy…I'll just hang your clothes on the door, ok?" Dean said, rolling his eyes again as he walked away.

Sam came into their bedroom a few minutes later, his hair wrapped up in a towel, his clothes on, tucked in neatly. He put his pajamas away and his dirty clothes in the "needs washed" duffle and then sat down to put on his socks and shoes. Dean helped Sam comb his unruly mop of hair into a suitably presentable hairdo and then gave him a once over.

"Lookin' sharp, little brother…" Dean said, licking his thumb and taming Sam's brows with it. Sam groaned.

"Dude…ugh…that's gross, Dean…" he whined.

Dean smirked. "Ok, little brother, I think we're ready. Let's go."

They headed out the door, Dean walking Sam the quarter mile distance to Zach's house. He let Sam go up on the porch himself, standing at the sidewalk, watching to make sure he went inside. The door opened and Zach tugged Sam inside, Sam turning briefly to wave him goodbye before stumbling in after him. The door shut and Dean let out a sigh. He turned and started the trek home. He thought about how much he disliked the holidays. All they did was remind him of what he once had and would never have again, and of how his family wasn't normal. It was a painful time of year for him and he couldn't really think of anything to be thankful for. Still, he wanted Sam to experience as much normal as he could. Their lives were so messed up that his brother rarely got to act like the kid that he was, his father insisting more and more that he be shown the ropes on training and hunting and researching. Dean knew his brother just wanted to have an apple-pie life and he tried his best to give his brother that as much as he could get away with it.

Dean got home, locking up as usual, and settled on the couch to do his homework. He finished it quickly, not really caring to check his work as thoroughly as he would Sam's, then he settled in to watch the game on TV while his brother visited his friend. 7pm rolled around and he heard a car pull up outside. He went to the window, seeing a mini-van outside. The door slid open and Sam hopped out, turning to thank Zach and Mrs. Studebaker and then he picked up a large plastic bag and closed the door. Puzzled as to what it could be, Dean shrugged it off for the moment and opened the door for Sam. He waved at Zach and his mom and they drove away. Dean closed the door and locked up, turning to look at his little brother.

"What's with the bag, Sammy?" Dean asked.

Sam grinned at him, practically glowing with happiness. He reached the bag out toward Dean.

"It's for you, Dean! And, well…I have something else for you, too…" Sam said, his cheeks pinking sweetly as he blushed, ducking his head and running into their bedroom after Dean took the bag from him.

Dean pried open the knot and looked inside. What he found was amazing. A full selection of Thanksgiving food. He swallowed thickly, the kindness of his little brother making him all warm inside again. Sam bounded out of their room, a paper clutched in his hand.

"I meant to give you this yesterday…um…I got an "A" on it…I wanted you to see it. Here, I'll go make you a plate, you look at it, ok?" Sam said, snatching the bag from him and bouncing into the kitchen. He heard Sam rattling around with a plate and silverware and the rustling of the bag as Sam pulled out it's contents and started fixing them from him. Dean heard all of it, but he wasn't really paying attention because his focus was completely locked on the paper Sam had handed him. On the top, it neat, bold letters it said: This Thanksgiving, I'm Most Thankful For My Big Brother. Dean's eyes started to sting a little as he read all the things his brother was thankful for about his big brother. By the time he was done reading it, he was on the verge of having a breakdown. He could barely hold all the emotions inside that tumbled around inside him. He never thought Sam thought that way about him. I mean sure, he knew the kid loved him, but it took him by surprise to read all the things Sam was thankful to him for. He was no one special…he was just doing what a big brother should: take care of his baby brother.

Sam came back to him, a plate balanced precariously in his hands. Dean snapped out of his reverie and took the plate from him, carrying it to the table. Sam beamed up at him.

"H-how come you got all this food, Sammy?" he asked, his voice cracking slightly.

"Well…I told Mrs. Studebaker that you were supposed to eat at your friend's house and that there had been a family emergency and your friend had canceled their dinner at the last minute and that you would be spending Thanksgiving alone. So she said that was awful and if she'd have known sooner, she'd had you come, too and so she said she'd send a full dinner home with me so that you'd get to have Thanksgiving, too." Sam said, his voice high, rapid and happy.

Dean gave Sam a lopsided grin, ruffling his hair and tugging him close, breaking his own no-hug rule and hugging his little brother tight for thinking of him yet again.

"Thanks, Sammy. I'll have to thank Mrs. Studebaker, too. You really didn't have to do this, though…"

Sam's eager grin deepened and he looked shyly at his feet again before turning his earnest gaze on his big brother again.

"I know I didn't Dean…and I know you hate the holidays…but, well…you let me have a real Thanksgiving, even though dad had said no and I know you'd be in big trouble for disobeying him…but…I just thought…you deserved a real Thanksgiving, too…" Sam said quietly.

Dean swallowed thickly again. Damn kid was gonna be the death of him…

"Thanks, man…" Dean said as he pulled out the chair and sat down.

"And…uh…Sammy?" Dean said quietly.

"Yeah, Dean?"

"I…uh…read the paper you wrote…You…uh…really think all that?"

"Yeah, Dean…I do. I really am most thankful for having you for a big brother." Sam grabbed Dean in another quick hug then scampered to the counter to clean up the containers and trash. He picked up one last container and brought it back to the table.

"I got you something else…I wasn't sure which one you'd want, so Mrs. Studebaker gave me a piece of each." Sam said, opening the box. Inside there were 3 pieces of pie: 1 pecan, 1 apple and 1 pumpkin. On top was a huge pile of real whipped cream. Dean about fell off the chair, he was so happy and excited.

"Oh, man…pie…Sammy, you can never go wrong with pie…any type is awesome, dude!!!"

Sam beamed at him. "Your welcome, Dean. I'm gonna go change into my pajamas."

"You do that, Sammy. I'm gonna enjoy my food. Thanks again, bro."

Sam beamed at him again as he headed into the bedroom, leaving Dean to savor the food alone. He finished up the main meal then moved on to the pie, practically purring as he worked his way through the container, he even licked the box clean after he was done. By the time he'd finished up and disposed of all the evidence, Sam was on the couch watching TV. Dean sunk down beside him, both of them curling up in a post-Thanksgiving dinner haze. As Dean drifted off in the turkey-induced stupor, he couldn't help but think that he had something to be thankful for this year afterall…

'_When I wake up again…I'll have to remember to tell the kid that I'm thankful for him too_…' Dean thought before he slouched down next to his already dozing little brother, tugging a blanket over them both and drifting into a content oblivion.

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**A****/N:** Okie Dokie!!! New story for y'all in the spirt of the holiday. Have a Happy Thanksgiving, everybody and try not to get run over or arrested on Black Friday...*evil grin*

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